Metal fabric.



A. F. RIETZEL.

METAL mama.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I6, i909. LMEZNOQ Patented July 20, 1915.

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ADOLPH F. RIE'IZEL, 0F CHARLESTOWN, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL ELECTRIC WELDINGCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METAL FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1915.

Original application filed 0ctober21, 1908, Serial No. 458,819. Divided and this application filed November is, 1909. Serial No. 528,279.

a metal fabric 1 of exceptional strength, rigidity and lightness and one that can be easily and cheaply manufactured without the use of bent or twisted fastening wlres and that will lend itself readily to manufacture by electric welding, ifdesired.

Another object is to so construct the fabric that it will accommodate itself to undulations or irregularities in the surface which its edge is required to follow as,for

' instance, in the case of a metal fabric used for fencing in localities where the surface of the earth is rolling or undulating.

The invention consists of the improved fabric hereinafter described and-then specified in the claims.

describing the invention, I will set forth the application of the same to a fabric made of wire and adapted for use as fencing, from which the use of the invention for fabrics intended for other purposes and constructed with other forms of metal for the crossing members in place of wire will be readily understood.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows, in side elevation, a section of fencing constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the fabric at one of the intersections of the crossing members. Fig. 3 is an edge View of theclip or bled preparatory to welding. Fig. 8 is an elevation of a fabric intersection and clip in which the crossing or intersecting members cross without any bend or offset within the clip, as seen in the edge view and partial section Fig. 9. Figs. 10 and 11 show other geometrical forms of clip or holder that may be usediin my invention. I

The crossing members 1, 2, ofthe fabric shown in the drawing are rods or wires preferably, but, as already stated, may be other metal forms.

3, 3 indicate respectively the two members of a holder or fastening device in the form of a clip having its members applied respectively to opposite sides of the fabric at the intersections of the crossing members and weldeddirectly to one another at one or more points 4: in the angles formed by the intersections of said crossing members. Said clip members may be of various forms. In Figs. 2 and 8 they areof annular form and have ample'space at the center to allow the crossing members to be bent or ofiset at the crossing point as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, said bend or offset preventing or contributing to prevent longitudinal dis placement of said members with relation to one another in the direction of their longitudinal axes. This bending or offsetting of the wires at the crossing point is especially desirable when a fastener of the form shown in Fig. 6 is employed, since, in that case, it will aid in preventing one member from turning with relation to the other around the axis of crossing; At the points where the members pass through the clip the latter are preferably so formed as to press firmly against the member 1 or 2 after the clip members have been brought together and welded. The opening in the clip may, however, be somewhat enlarged in the direction of the plane of the fabric to allow some free- The welding of the two members of the fastener or clip together in the angles is conveniently and preferably effected by electric welding conducted in an electric welding machine having current supplying and pressure blocks or electrodes, as 1nd1- cated in dotted lines at bers and at portions thereof located in the are suitably engaged to permit the portions the clip members passage of a current from one to the other, thereby heating their meeting portions to the welding temperature. To facilitate this process angles, at which and localize the heating one or both -mem-,

bers of the clip may be furnished with the interior points or projections 7 indicated in Fig. 7 and said projections may conveniently be formed by punching or stamping the clip in obvious manner.

llhe crossing members may be placed in crossing relation by any desired means so as to lie in a horizontal plane in the welding machine and the two members of the clip then applied to the opposite sides of the fabric at the intersections, the said clip mem .bers being in preliminary contact with one another by the projections 7 on one or both clip members. The squeezing of the members together in the electrodes and the passage of the current from one to the other of the clip members causes the heating of the same to the welding temperature and the accompanying orfollowing pressure applied by the electrodes or other pressure devices, welds them together in the well-known manner.

A fabricconstructed according to my invention may be rapidly and cheaply manufactured without the use of complicated devices for tying the crossing members at intersections and without any welding of the crossing members of the fabric to one another and without requiring any special preparation or forming of said crossing members, all that is necessary being to assemble the crossing members in their cross- 1ng relation with the two clip members applied at opposite sides of the fabric in the relation which they occupy in the finished structure and then passinga heating electric current through the meeting'portions of the clips in the angles made by the intersections and applying welding pressure.

The fabric as a whole will be stronger than a fabric made simply by the welding of the crossing members to one another at intersections and will be more dura le,

'stifier and less liable to Work loose at its joints than fabrics made with tie-wires or other mechanically secured fastening de;

vices. Moreover, the fabric may be readily,

given amore ornamental, neater and more compact appearance at its intersections that? is possible with previous constructions.

I do not limit myself to the use of clips in the form of plates but may use any other form of clip or fastening device made in two parts suitably constructed to permit them to be applied to opposite faces of the fabric and to have meeting portions meeting in the angles at intersections and to be there readily welded together.

My present application is a division of my prior application filed October 21, 1908, Se-

rial No. 458,819.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a metal fabric, crossing members secured together at their intersections by twopart clips or fastening devices applied over the intersections and having surfaces meeting in the angles formedv by the intersections, said clips being welded together ogily at a point or spot of such meeting surfa es 2. In a metal fabric, crossing members secured together at their intersections by two-part clips or fastening devices applied over the intersections, said clips having surfaces meeting in the angles formed by the intersections and welded together over?} a part only of such surfaces, said clips being adapted to allow limited movement of the crossing members in the plane of the fabric.

Signed at South Kingston, in the county of lVashington and State of Rhode Island,.

Witnesses:

THOMAS A. GARDNER, Rosu H. RIETZEL. 

